Meaning of 杆
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- stick
- pole
- lever
- classifier for long objects such as guns
- (bound form) pole; shaft
How to use 杆
Read gǎn, 杆 means a stick, lever, or shaft held in the hand. It is also a classifier for long objects such as guns, as in 一杆枪 (yì gǎn qiāng, one rifle). Read gān, it usually means a tall pole fixed in place, as in 电线杆 (diànxiàngān, telephone pole) and 栏杆 (lángān, railing).
杆 combines 木 (mù, tree or wood) with 干 (gān), which gives the sound. Picture a straight piece of wood stripped down to a bare pole.
Common mistake: Learners often use one tone for every word. The tall upright poles in 杆子 (gānzi), 电线杆 and 栏杆 are first tone, while 杠杆 (gànggǎn, lever) and the classifier use third tone. Also do not confuse 杆 with 竿 (gān), which has the bamboo radical and appears in 竹竿 (zhúgān, bamboo pole).
杆 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
杆 gǎn · stick · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 杆.
Questions about 杆
What does 杆 mean?
杆 (gǎn) means "stick; pole" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 杆?
杆 is made of 1 character: 杆 (7 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 杆 an HSK word?
Yes. 杆 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 杆 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 杆 is written 桿.
What is the difference between 杆 and 棍?
杆 suggests something long, straight and slender, often a pole or shaft. 棍 (gùn) is a stick or club, as in 木棍 (mùgùn, wooden stick), and is usually shorter and thicker.
How is 杆 used in golf and billiards?
球杆 (qiúgān) is the general word for a golf club or a billiard cue, and 铁杆 (tiěgān) is an iron in golf. 杆 can also count strokes in golf, as in 一杆进洞 (yì gān jìn dòng, hole in one).